Constructing Impermanence

CONSTRUCTING

[IM]PERMANENCE

A Terminal Master’s Project Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of architecture School of Architecture and Community Design College of the Arts University of South Florida May 2014

CONSTRUCTING

[IM]PERMANENCE Chair

Nancy Sanders

Commitee

Brandon Hicks

Associate Professor Adjunct Professor Principal Architect at Twelfth Street Studio

Steven Cooke

Architect and Associate Professor

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my committee members Brandon Hicks and Steve Cooke, for taking the time to give me valuable information and guidance, which helped me in completing this masters project. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to Professor Nancy Sanders, I could not have asked for a better chair. She was always so encouraging and inspiring.

I really appreciate her patient guidance, enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques. The knowledge she has given me shall carry me through my next journey of life on which I am about to embark.

I would like to thank my friends, Nina, Hannah, Laney, Hanna, Sarika and Erik, they have encouraged me and kept me sane for four years. I would not have made it through all of the allnighters without their positive attitudes and coffee time.

Without the support of my family, none of this would have been possible. I thank my parents Jill and Shawn, and my sister Monet, for their endless patience, understanding and love they have given me. To them, I dedicate this thesis.

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CONTENTS 01 | ABSTRACT 02 | PRELIMINARY RESERCH Wander & Sink The House as a Product Nomad Perception of a Perpetual Present Accepting Impermanence Wabi Sabi The Book of Tea The Beauty of Impermanence in Art Materials in Time 03 | ENCHANTED ROCK: A PLACE OF TIMELESSNESS 04 | LIVE+WORK The inhabitant of the studio would engage in the ongoing work of transforming Enchanted Rock, evoking concepts of ephemerality and accepting the weathering process.

05 | POOLS The pools focus on the fluctuation of Sandy Creek’s water level. Here, the design accepts the flooding as carved out pools appear and dissipate seasonally in the valley area.

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01 | ABSTRACT WIND & WA TE R & S T ON E The water hollowed the stone, the wind dispersed the water, the stone stopped the wind.

Water and wind and stone.

The wind sculpted the stone, the stone is a cup of water, The water runs off and is wind.

Stone and wind and water.

The wind sings in its turnings, the water murmurs as it goes, the motionless stone is quiet.

Wind and water and stone.

One is the other and is neither: among their empty names they pass and disappear, water and stone and wind.

OCTA V I O P A Z

01 | ABSTRACT Buildings are not static entities that retain their moment of perfection in time; they are constantly evolving. By perceiving architecture as a perpetual process, a dialogue is formed between user and architect; architecture and the context. The objective of this project is to restore the connection between the user and the producer in a continuously changing environment.

The poem by Octavio Paz beautifully illustrates the process of weathering, its interrelationship between all things, and the inherent impermanence of all things, even those that appear to be infinite, such as stone, water and wind. These elements have the potential to be enhanced, which will in effect, provoke the awareness life’s evanescence.

This masters project will explore designing and constructing in a way that accepts the weathering process and manifests different measures of time through materials and use. “This architecture does not struggle against time, it concretizes the course of time and makes it acceptable. It seeks to accommodate rather than impress, evoke domesticity and comfort rather than admiration and awe� (Pallasmaa 2).

I intend on moving away from visual architecture that induces the presence of grandeur and power. By moving towards an architecture that utilizes erosion, corrosion, and weathering, I am attempting to reestablish a connection to the built and natural environments, enhance the senses, and awaken the awareness of time.

By revealing the transience of life through architecture, I hope that this project will make people appreciate the passage of time. Accepting weathering and time should impact people so that they not only experience these elements in architecture, but in their daily lives.

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02 | RESEARCH

02 | RESEARCH By the age of twelve, I had already moved ten times. This inability to connect to the built and natural environment has caused me to contemplate impermanence. We constantly wandered and sank into the next impermanent place. The irregularity of the moves, the duration of stay, and the places we resided were the result of my mother’s insatiable wanderlust. Our settlement into a new place was like sinking slowly into the earth; we felt this illusion of permanence and yet transience was always inevitable. The sinking was also felt in the way in which the homes responded to the environment by disregarding context, obliterating their surroundings and sinking into place.

My first realization of the severed connection between the natural environment and the inhabitants, was when we moved to Texas.

It was the first time I saw stars without the mask of the numerous streetlights of the suburbs. I remember the timelessness of the places we would visit, away from the monotony of the suburbs and into the Texas Hill Country’s sparse rolling hills, bluebonnets, cacti, and longhorn cattle. But we drove away from the country and back into the suburbs, back into the miles of parking lots and strip malls.

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WANDER & SINK

This illustrates the impression of heaviness and permanence that was experienced during my process of wandering and sinking. The diagrams between the twisted and disoriented landscape represents the many homes that I have lived in, constructed out of a series of overlapping memories. The irregular and seldom moments of interaction between the landscape and the memories mark the occasions when I have felt a connection to my built or natural environment.

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fig. 1

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fig. 2

0022 | | RREESSEEAARRCCHH

THE HOUSE AS A PRODUCT

While moving throughout the country, I noticed that the landscape changed but the homes and strip malls did not. The constant migration and removal of familiar things caused home to become an empty vessel, a shell devoid of the memories and meaning created in the previous place. This graphic depicts houses built as a product rather than as a process. Because of their mass-produced pieces and non-functional elements, they do not reveal the construction process or any kind of connection between buildings and landscape. A mass-produced building is essentially siteless because of its disregard for the existing context or climate. The houses create a repetitive pattern throughout the twisting streets of suburbia and they take away from the landscape rather than working with it.

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nomad

Lattice tied with goat hair rope fig. 5-8 by Stephanie Carlisle

Tono, or smoke hole fig. 6

Nomad fig. 7

alteration of the ground fig. 8

Instead of comparing my nomadism to the literal mobility of traditional nomadic peoples, I was interested in the ways in which nomadic people are “perpetually engaged in a process of constructing and reconstructing their homes and identities” (Project Proposal Carlisle) thus forming a relationship between their natural and built environments. Because nomadic movement is seasonal, they have an understanding of the constantly changing environment. After they move, the trace left behind is a temporary alteration of the ground (fig. 8).

The Dukha of northern Mongolia move six to ten times per year.

My own movement was irregular while their regular movement is based on the seasons. Even though they move, they move intimately over the land. Their home is constructed of 25’ pine poles with layers of canvas tethered across. At the center of their home is the hearth. It is the heart of the home and is the only solid piece of the teepee-like structure . By continuously constructing and deconstructing they are aware when the fibers of the canvas walls begin to deteriorate and when the wood is beginning to rot.

They are perpetually engaging in a sensory connection to the construction of their homes. “[The ger serves] as a sort of sun-dial. Coming through the tono (central smoke hole) and passing along the khans (lattice workwall panels), a sunray enabled the dwellers to determine the time” (Maidar 21). The home becomes a manifestation of changing time throughout the day (fig. 6).

The dwelling of a nomad is constructed with layers of fabric and a kit of wooden pieces. They are able to easily adapt to the constantly changing terrain by adding more layers of canvas in the winter. To the nomads of the northeastern region of Mongolia, the permanence of the dwelling lies in the door. It is the only solid component of the fragile ger, yet it is also the temporary threshold that people pass through. The perimeter of the ger is constructed with a lattice structure of thin strips of pliable, woven wood with a felt or wool covering over the top (Noble 40) (fig. 5). Once it has been used to its full potential, the entire home may be returned to the earth.

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NOMADIC MOVEMENT

This graphic contrasts with my narrative because the heavy “permanent” structures that I have experienced sink into the ground while the light temporary structures of the nomad float above the landscape. The teepee like structures in this drawing represent the various cycles of a nomads’ home: from the frame, inhabiting the ger, adapting it to the colder temperature, back to the frame, movement to a new place and, finally, after it has been used to its full capacity, a return to its original state.

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PERCEPTION OF A PERPETUAL PRESENT “The architecture of the modern era aspires to evoke an air of ageless youth and of a perpetual present. The ideals of perfection and completeness further detach the architectural object from the reality of time and the traces of use.

Consequently, our buildings have become vulnerable to the effect of time, the revenge of time. Instead of offering positive qualities of vintage and authority, time and use attack our buildings destructively� fig. 3

Juhani Pallasmaa

We perceive architecture as an enduring permanent monument to embody the greatness and ideals of our time. However everything dies eventually. New trends and fads are born and pass away, iconic structures hold their value for a brief moment and are maintained to uphold the idea of perpetual permanence.

“Our culture of control and speed has favoured the architecture of the eye, with its instantaneous imagery and distant impact, whereas haptic architecture promotes slowness and intimacy, appreciated and comprehended gradually as images of the body and the skin. The architecture of the eye detaches and controls, whereas haptic architecture engages and unites. Tactile sensibility replaces distancing visual imagery by enhanced materiality, nearness and intimacy.” (Palassmaa 2) Traces of time and human use can be read in the patina of an old building. These marks enhance the building and place it into human reality. The modernist concept of pure forms and clean surfaces rejected the inevitability of weathering. “The Modernist surface is treated as an abstracted boundary of volume, and has a conceptual rather than a sensory essence. These surfaces tend to remain mute” (Palassmaa 2).

Can weathering be anticipated? Can erosion, cracks and watermark stains be integrated into the design? An alteration of the material due to weathering is considered to be a failure of the architect to envision his concept within reality, but it could also be considered an enhancement and a play between the different weathering patterns of the materials. Stains have the potential to “show the play between previously unrelated materials” (Leatherbarrow 72).

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ACCEPTING IMPERMANENCE: precedents in architecture

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The modernist movement believed that traces of time and weathering on their beautifully sterile buildings were an ugly mistake.

A “controlled and therapeutic environment” (Leatherbarrow 30) was strived for in Le Corbusier’s earlier designs, but this deprivation of sensory experiences creates a bland world. This sterile environment feels distant and untouchable. It encourages the impression that we have control to stop natural process of death and decay. We can prolong it but it will still happen. I am proposing to utilize the natural weathering process as tools of construction.

We do not live in a smooth and sterile world; therefore our buildings should not be entirely flat and smooth. It should reflect the site and grow out of the site. Leatherbarrow elucidates the complexity of the process of building with stone to show the importance of materials. “The strongest side of the stone was to be placed where the wall was to be exposed to the weather […] thus the placement of the stone in construction recalls the stones origins in cutting and anticipates its ageing in weathering.” The location of the quarry, how it is cut, and the make and matter of each individual stone are all important in the building process.

Every piece used in the construction of a stone building illustrates a connection to where it came from. Palazzo Ducale (fig. 4) is an example of a stone building where every piece is situated in accordance with the weathering process and the play of lightening and darkening through the elements. The protruding archways glow white against the shadows of the arcade and the dark stained smooth walls. “The contrast between light and dark on a building surface provides it with shadows permanently embedded within its fabric” (Leatherbarrow 39).

In the Brion-Vega Cemetery (fig.22), Scarpa anticipated the weathering process by creating three different methods for draining water on one facade. The scupper on the edge pushes water away from the wall, while the other two allow the water to stain the rough concrete.

Querini Stampalia (fig.23) is located in Venice, the city of water.

Instead of finding a way to barricade the water, Scarpa accepts the constantly fluctuating canals. The building coexists with the water and allows it to course through the channels along the perimeter of the rooms without disturbing the exhibits.

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ACCEPTING IMPERMANENCE: precedents in architecture

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Takeshi Hayatsu and Kristin Trommler designed a teahouse (fig.

27 & 29) in Wales constructed of timber and wattle and daub “to re-engage with the materials and the landscape as a source through the act of building.” The temporality of the structure reminds us of the impermanence of our existence. Contrasting solids and voids play with different levels of light and darkness. A portion of the ceiling and floor are left incomplete to let the rain pass through, imbuing the Japanese Wabi v concept of the incomplete, allowing one’s mind to complete the space.

Ruin Academy (fig. 24), a five-story school and dormitory (originally a typical apartment building in Taipei), is an example of modern adaptation where people have encouraged nature to take over built spaces. The inhabitants coevolve with the changing environment. “[Third Generation] City is the ruin of the industrial city. Taipei is full of ruins and the city is being composted constantly. We are interested in these ruining processes that seem to keep the mechanical city alive. Taipei is a big garden and a battle-field between the man-made and the organic. We are interested in the third condition – when the man-made has become part of nature.”

--Marco Casagrande

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WABI SABI

Walking along a trail, I noticed a rotting handrail that separated the path and the river (fig. 10). I have never seen such an interesting pattern of decay; broken up into rigid little chunks and continuing to crack along the organic lines of the wood. The smooth part of the wood that had not yet begun to break apart encasesd the dying core while light captured the rough texture. This image is the embodiment of wabi sabi. It illustrates “the unrivaled beauty and natural imperfection of the fleeting word� (Juniper 39).

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02 | RESEARCH The Japanese concept of wabi sabi “is an intuitive appreciation of a transient beauty in the physical world that reflects the irreversible flow of life in the spiritual world. It is an understated beauty that exists in the modest, rustic, imperfect, or even decayed, an aesthetic sensibility that finds a melancholic beauty in the impermanence of all things” (Juniper 51).

Similarities to the concepts of impermanence and time that are underpinning this thesis project can be found in Zen Buddhism and the ideas of “wabi sabi”. Zen Buddhism greatly influenced the rejection of material things and the veneration of the natural, the ephemeral, and the imperfect. “[Zen monks] discovered the innate beauty to be found in the exquisite random patterns left by the flow of nature. The small nuances of color, the curve of an opening petal, the crack in a bamboo vase, or the decay of a knot in an old timber all came to symbolize “mujo”, which is the Buddhist tenet of impermanence and continuous flux” (Juniper 10) It is inevitable that everything is “coming from or returning to nothing” at some point in time. After the moment of conception, we are decomposing. Wabi sabi sees the bittersweet beauty of this truth and attempts to find ways in which to celebrate life everyday by appreciating the transience of all things.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony is greatly influenced by wabi sabi expressions. Tea ceremonies are performed at a specific time; the change of the season when the leaves turn or when the flowers blossom. This signifies an awareness of the impermanence inherent in everything.

Utilizing these concepts daily, “can rekindle the dwindling awareness of our own spirituality and bring back a sense of what it means to be human.” (Juniper 105)

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02 | RESEARCH the book of tea

ABODE OF THE UNSYMMETRICAL: THE INCOMPLETE

The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura, expresses elements of wabi sabi in the form of the sacred Japanese Tea Ceremony. It focuses on the veneration of the incomplete, the ephemeral, and the imperfect.

Okakura states that “true beauty could be discovered only by one who mentally completed the incomplete. The virility of life and art lay in its possibilities for growth�. Part of the teahouse is left incomplete to activate the imagination.

I drew a series of human faces to illustrate these concpets in a form that we are all familiar with. The figure was intentionally left unfinished to inculcate the concept of incomplete. What does the bridge of his nose look like? How close or far apart are his eyes? Where is his hairline? Incompleteness awakens the mind and perpetually engages the inquirer.

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02 | RESEARCH the book of tea

ABODE OF VACANCY: THE IMPERFECT

The Abode of Vacancy discovers beauty in the rough imperfections of nature. Traces of time can be read in the patina of this man’s face; illustrating that it is the imperfections and the unique features of a person that makes them beautiful and human. Society’s obsession with preserving a perpetual present encourages the impression that we can control or stop the natural process of death and decay. We can prolong it, but it is inevitable so we must accept it. Age is considered an imperfection, but I find wrinkles and scars fascinating. A scar is a living record of a hardship or specific moment in life, it tells a story and it is unique to each person.

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02 | RESEARCH the book of tea

THE ABODE OF FANCY: THE EPHEMERAL

“The body itself was but as a hut in the wilderness, a flimsy shelter made by tying together the grasses that grew around,—when these ceased to be bound together they again became resolved into the original waste.”

Okakura | The Book of Tea The temporary refuge reflects the inevitability that everything dies and returns to the earth at some point in time. After the moment of conception, we are decomposing.

The Abode of Fancy is a structure made solely for the tea master and is not intended for future generations. This abode makes the participants aware of time, which induces an appreciation of the fleeting moment. “In the tea-room fugitiveness is suggested in the thatched roof, frailty in the slender pillars, lightness in the bamboo support, apparent carelessness in the use of commonplace materials. The eternal is to be found only in the spirit which, embodied in these simple surroundings, beautifies them with the subtle light of its refinement” (Okakura 78). The tea ceremony was typically planned for a certain time of the season or significant natural phenomenon.

The watercolor is a representation of being caught in the moment. Life is in continuous flux and awareness of this ephemerality leads to the appreciation of the beauty of life’s evanescence.

Designing spaces that can only be used at a specific time of year or designing for something to decompose at a quick rate, illustrates possibilities for accepting the ephemeral.

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THE BEAUTY OF IMPERMANENCE IN ART: motoi yamamoto

Contemporary Japanese installation artist, Motoi Yamamoto creates salt labyrinths that hold deep personal meaning and expressions of wabi sabi. Yamamoto creates intricate labyrinths of salt to represent his mind and the memory of his sister who suffered from a sudden death caused by brain cancer.

He preserves her memory in the ethereal, intricate details created from salt.

“Drawing a labyrinth with salt is like following a trace of my memory. Memories seem to change and vanish as time goes by. However, what I seek is the way in which I can touch a precious moment in my memories that cannot be attained through pictures or writings.”

– Motoi Yamamoto, Return to the Sea In Japanese culture, salt is a symbol for purification and healing (Yamamoto). Yamamoto destroys his salt labyrinths by returning them to nature in the closest body of water; it would not be complete without this step. Everyone is invited to partake in the dismantling of the labyrinth, and it becomes an event that brings people of all backgrounds together as a community. It is an interesting idea of capturing a specific moment of time in such an impermanent way. The beauty of impermanence is found in the temporality of the artwork.

Yamamoto constructing a salt installation fig. 15

A completed salt labyrinth fig. 16

Yamamoto returning the salt to the Great Salt Lake fig. 17

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THE BEAUTY OF IMPERMANENCE IN ART: andy goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy creates art out of things found in nature. By forming something into a simple shape, he informs us of the nature of the object; its fragility, its lifespan, its strengths and weaknesses. His process is causes him to learn about himself and his own limitations and strengths and learning what nature is capable of by tactile experiences of the different textures. He finds beauty of the impermanence of nature and the importance of the degenerative process.

“Movement, change, light, growth and decay are the lifeblood of nature, the energies that I try to tap through my work. I need the shock of touch, the resistance of place, materials and weather, the earth as my source. Nature is in a state of change and that change is the key to understanding. I want my art to be sensitive and alert to changes in material, season and weather. Each work grows, stays, decays. Process and decay are implicit. Transience in my work reflects what I find in nature.”

--Andy Goldsworthy ” Goldsworthy plays with different measures of time and he uses everyday occurances in nature to effect his work. His art is subject to the elements; the tide, the sun melting the ice, the wind blowing away the leaves, which makes one aware of the natural cycles of degeneration.

Goldsworthy constructing temporary art from nature fig. 18

An Icicle Star joined with saliva fig. 19

Goldsworthy collected leaves to form a circle in a puddle. fig. 20

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MATERIALS IN TIME

“Abstraction and perfection transport us into the world of ideas, whereas matter, weathering and decay strengthen the experience of time, causality and reality� (Pallasmaa 2). It is important to utilize local materials because the project should appear to grow out of the site. These images speak of where they came from and how they will create a re-discovery of sensory architecture and an active architecture in which people may form a connection to their natural and built environments. I want to create an interaction between materials that decay at different intervals of time to show levels of permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary by carving spaces out of the earth and constructing with wood and steel. w ood and stone fig. 30

fig. 10 w attl e fig. 31

s h o u -s u g i -b a n o r b u rn e d w ood fig. 32

rammed earth fig. 34

steel fig. 33

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03 | ENCHANTED ROCK S TAT E N AT U R A L A R E A 16710 Ranch Road 965 Fredericksburg “Here, in the vacant luminosity of the arid desert, is a metaphysical emptiness of immeasurable dimension�

James Corner 149 The rugged landscape of Texas is significant in my memories. The places that we would hike were traces of time; rivers that once surged through, wearing away the limestone and disappearing to leave only the trace behind. Enchanted Rock is one place in particular that revealed the amazing natural weathering process; from the constant fluctuation of the water levels to the impervious nature of the stone, the fractures and displaced boulders speak of an intense natural phenomena untouched by humans for billions of years. fig. 35

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03 | ENCHNANTED ROCK

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Enchanted Rock is a State Natural Area located roughly two hours west of Austin and between two smaller cities, Llano and Fredericksburg. The climate in this area is an unusual mix of subtropical and semi–arid desert because of its proximity to the Chihuahuan Desert and the Gulf of Mexico. The SNA is surrounded by regular geographic patchwork of cattle ranches; juxtaposing the organic curvature of the mountain of granite and the meandering Sandy Creek. There is only one point of access by car from a narrow twolane road. The trail encircling the site is about four miles long and there are many activities and amenities such as camping, hiking, climbing, repelling and waterfalls after rainy days.

Enchanted Rock was once a place of spiritual significance to the Comanche, Apache, and the Tonkawa tribes. It is unclear when they migrated to this area but there are records that it has been inhabited for over 11,000 years. Enchanted Rock was a sacred place that they dared not trek for fear of evil spirits. The Apache would often perform the Gan dance, a sacred dance in reverence of the sun and mountain gods. They believed that all things came from the sun and that everything has a spirit, from the river to the earth and the wind, and everything and everyone is connected and bound to these spirits. (Apache 18) “At night spirit fires dance on the summit and by day millions of isinglass stars glint in the sunlight” (Allred 33). Enchanted Rock, also known as Crying Rock, was sacred because of the mysterious lights and groaning and creaking sounds heard at night. What they were hearing was actually a geologic phenomenon of rock expanding and contracting and the light emanating from the top was a reflection from the moonlight onto the vernal pools and the sparkling fragments of quartz fused into the granite domes.

01 L l a n o 02 F r e d e r i c k s b u r g 03 A u s t i n 45

03 | ENCHNANTED ROCK

LE GEND Trails Road Camping Water

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C-1

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03 | ENCHNANTED ROCK

GEOLOGY I wanted to choose a site that is beyond human time, a place in which time moves slowly. Enchanted rock is 1.08 billion years old and has continued to weather and change since its formation.

The hills of Central Texas are formed by The Llano Uplift; a dome of Precambian rock. Enchanted Rock is an igneous batholith; formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava and constantly pushing up the granite over millions of years. Enchanched Rock is merely the surface of the granite protruding above the earth’s crust, there is more below (Allred 56, 57). “[…] Central Texas is subjected on a regular basis to prolonged droughts and to some of the most catastrophic flooding in North America, which accelerates the weathering process and reveals geological clues beneath” (Allred xi).

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LONGITUDINAL SECTION fig. 41

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03 | ENCHNANTED ROCK

thick exfoliation sheets fig. 42

thin exfoliation sheets fig. 43

Exfoliation can be described as a rock shedding its skin, peeling away, layer after layer. The sheets can be anywhere from a couple inches to house-sized granite slabs. Figure 42 shows the remnants of a thick sheet that may have been “rearranged with ease by the power of the water.� (Allred 98) The process of weathering for 1.08 billion years has caused joints of exfoliation (fig. 43) to occur on top of the domes and fracture zones in the valleys. The granite is a fusion of biotite, quartz, which gives it the appearance of flecks of sparkling pink and dark brown. Flowing magma causes schlieren (fig. 44), which are thin deposits of biotite; this gives the rock its streaking appearance (Allred 61). After the magma cools and contracts, cracks form and more magma seeps through the cracks, leaving grooves and channels for water to flow and further weaken the cracks.

Figure 45 is a 1,000 ft crevice formed by exfoliation sheets sliding down and stacking, leaving large spaces in between (Peterson 25).

It was surprisingly clean and smooth. I expected cobwebs, leaves, or bugs, dead or alive, but there was nothing but slick granite untouched by the weathering of the elements. schlieren fig. 44

crevice fig. 45

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VERNAL POOLS

I assumed that the dry, sparse landscape would just be continued at the summit, but there were actually vernal pools and trees. A vernal pool is a temporary pool of water that houses many fragile creatures within the mini ecosystem. It was interesting that between the pockets of water, were stains embedded from one pool to the other, which speaks of the duration of how long water may flow and the direction of the flow between the pools.

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PLANT COMMUNITIES

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FLOODPLAIN |

the shallow creek fluctuates from completelty dry to a 100ft wide floodplain and can be between 3-16 ft deep

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oak woodland fig. 50

granite fig. 51

floodplain fig. 52

CLIMATE

The weather in this region is complicated because of its proximity to the Chihuahuan Desert and the Gulf of Mexico, causing a mixture of a subtropical and semi arid climate. On average, there are cool winters and hot summers, but the temperatures can reach from 110 in July to -10 in January (Allred 94). Mainly in the summer, if the air is coming from the Gulf of Mexico, the warm humid air will inhibit minimal temperature fluctuation from day to night; however, dry desert air can cause the temperature to fluctuate from the 100s in the day to the 60s at night (Allred 100). About once a year a cold front passes through called a “Blue Northerner”, which may bring snow but it melts a few hours after dawn.

“Longer-term climatic changes are also occurring. Certainly the area has been drying out since the peak of the most recent glacial period, about 20,000 years ago” (Allred 117).

mesquite grassland fig. 53

Spring and fall bring the wet seasons, followed by periods of drought in summer and winter (Allred 93). The Llano River feeds Sandy creek and it can “fluctuate from a few feet to 20 or 30 feet over the course of a few hours after a heavy rain event in its watershed” (Allred 98). After a large amount of rain, Sandy Creek floods over the banks, and can return to its original path within hours or days. There can be periods of 30-60 days without any rainfall in the summer. Many periods of drought seem to end with a flood year (Allred 117). In the 20th century the area received 10 inches in one year for the record low drought period and 50 inches for the record high. Even though it rains only about 10 inches less than Tampa per year, these periods of drought greatly affect the flora and fauna of the region because they must retain water in order to survive.

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SITE MAP BUZ Z ARD’ S R O O ST

F R E SHMA N M O UN TAIN ENCHANT ED R O C K T URKE Y PEAK ECHO CA N Y O N L IT TL E RO C K

I wanted to focus on two important areas of the site: Echo Canyon and the valley between Freshman Mountain and Buzzard’s Roost.

Both of these places have water passing through them. A sequence of buildings will form an itinerary that links these territories.

Echo Canyon is a fracture zone subjected to the collapse of Little Rock and Enchanted Rock’s exfoliation sheets. Echo Canyon was unlike any other place within the granite formation. I hiked down a treacherously steep slope and hopped over large boulders, careful not to slip between the cracks. I ran through hoards of bees pollinating in the flower bushes and finally came to a wooded area. There is so much life at the base of the canyon between boulders that had rolled down so many thousands of years ago. An oak woodland thrives between large slabs of granite, and a small stream meanders through the rocks and trees.

The valley lies between Buzzard’s Roost and Freshman Mountain.

I sat on a rock under a tree and stared out into the shallow creek, listening to the sound of the tall grasses moving in the wind.

01 | LIVE +WORK 02 | POOLS 59

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04 | LIVE+WORK

04 | LIVE+WORK The first building in the compound of sequential experiences is a live+work studio. The inhabitant of the studio would engage in the ongoing work of transforming Enchanted Rock, evoking concepts of ephemerality and accepting the weathering process.

The studio inhabitant is able to continuously build nodes for contemplation and views of the site. Some may last longer than others, but the objective is to show that they change with the site and evoke the concept of ephemerality. The inhabitant lives on the site and uses local materials to create installations.

The studio allows visitors to see the process of construction through shou-sugi-ban, a Japanese method of burning wood to retard water, insects and fire. A natural way of treating the wood that may ultimately return to its original state without harming the environment, shou-sugi-ban will be used continuously by the inhabitant to create ephemeral structures in the landscape.

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04 | LIVE+WORK

BUILD

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COOL

BURN

SECTION

The process of shou-sugi-ban is simple: burn, cool with water, brush off excess char, and oil to seal it naturally. Seeing the process of construction engenders a connection to the built environment. fig. 56

STORAGE

63

04 | LIVE+WORK

4

6 3 5 1 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

storage burn cool build kitchen living bed bath

LIVE | WORK scale 1/32”=1’0”

The home connects to the workspace through a channel of water carved into the granite. It flows from the home, into the garden, and down to the workspace to aid in the cooling process. fig. 57

2

fig. 58

65

04 | LIVE+WORK

wattle scr and steel

reen l frame

carved granite

rammed earth

canvas walls within a steel frame

03

SECTION

Interaction between different intervals of time fig. 59 67

04 | LIVE+WORK The sun glows though the canvas walls of the living space as the day passes by. The delicate canvas is held by a thin steel frame connected to thick rammed earth walls; creating a play between solid and light. The rammed earth wall anchors the steel door and hearth, reminiscint of how the dwelling of a nomad placed importance on these solid elements. fig. 60

69

04 | LIVE+WORK “The body itself was but a hut in the wilderness, a flimsy shelter made by tying together the grasses that grew around,—when these ceased to be bound together they again became resolved into the original waste.�

Okakura | The Book of Tea After many years. the steel begins to corrode and the living space becomes uninhabitable. The built coevolves with the natural as it continues to transform. This space becomes a relic of the past, leaving rust stains and scarring the earth with footprints and traces of movement and human activity. fig. 61

71

fig. 62

05 | POOL

05 | POOLS

The second area in the sequence focuses on the fluctuation of Sandy Creek’s water level. Here, the design accepts the flooding as carved out pools appear and dissipate seasonally in the valley area. Intervals of time become manifest in contrast with the constantly changing creek and the slow transformation of the rock.

The pools carve the banks of sandy creek and widen the flood zone to accept and celebrate annual flooding. I designed a series of lookouts, changing rooms, a sauna that you experience as you progress into the water. The spaces play with different levels of permanence; either carving into the rock or using a delicate material, such as rice paper, as an enclosure. Permanent spaces built out of and within the rock become generators for other spaces, becoming permanent “relics” and showing the markings and traces of human activity.

73

05 | POOL

SANDY CREEK

Sandy Creek experiences drought during the summer and winter.

“Water from Sandy Creek and rich alluvial deposits support a diverse set of plants on the creek bed and on the terrace where floods occasionally occur” (Allred 116).

During the wet seasons, spring and fall, the water floods over Sandy Creek’s flat banks.

Drought fig. 63

Moderate fig. 64

Flood fig. 65

75

05 | POOL

06

1 2

05

SITE PLAN

1 2 3 4 5 6

temporary shelter sun deck changing/restrooms viewing deck 2 sauna viewing deck 1

fig. 66

05

5 04 3 4

6

04

06

77

05 | POOL

The site model shows the progression along Sandy Creek fig. 70 79

05 | POOL

fig. 71

fig. 72

Hand drawn lines indicate scarring and the possibility of channeling water or for the development of vernal pools fig. 73

81

05 | POOL

VIEWING DECK 1 04 S E C T I O N The bridge over Sandy Creek leads to the first viewing deck. pushes down into the earth and you are at eye level with the ground. this makes you slow down and take time to listen to the wind blowing through the grass. the veiwing deck may flood and become unoccupiable so it makes you appreciate this space more.

fig. 74

83

05 | POOL

CHANGING ROOMS | RESTROOMS 05 S E C T I O N This model cuts through the sauna and the changing rooms. A courtyard behind the changing rooms brings light in through the rice paper walls. As you progress to the sauna, the path cuts deep into the hill and begins to float over the water. The entrance is a heavy door that slides into the wall. Light pours down from the light well that pierces the hill. After rejuvenation, you step into the water to cool down. the water is mainly fed by rainwater but over time it will evolve into a vernal pool.

fig. 75 85

05 | POOL fig. 76 study model constructed with plaster

Perspectives of the changing rooms before and after transformation fig. 77 87

05 | POOL subterranean light chambers

changing rooms

viewing deck 2

06

SECTION fig. 78 89

05 | POOL

SUBTERRANEAN LIGHT CHAMBERS

The light chambers carve out of the rock and evoke feelings of permenence and heaviness. This illustration of spring represents the project at the moment of conception, before the effects of time .

fig. 79 91

05 | POOL

SUBTERRANEAN LIGHT CHAMB E R S

Over time, the steel has corroded, fragile ecosystems now thrive within the cracks of the granite, and even the granite that once appeared to be impervious eventually crubmled. During the dry seasons during the winter and summer, the light chambers may be used as fire pits.

93

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List of Figures Figure 4

Palazzo Ducale. David Leatherbarrow, Mohsen Mostafavi, On Weathering: The Life of Buildings in Time. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1993. Print. p 40

Figures 5-8

Carlisle, Stephanie. “The Practice of Movement”. Yale University, August 2006. nomadicarchi tecture.com.

Figure 11

Coca, Joe. Wabi Sabi. N.d. 2011. Mother Earth News. Web. 1 May 2014.

Figure 15

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Figure 16

Labyrinth. N.d. Making Mends / Bellevue Arts Museum. Motoi Yamamoto. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. <http://www.motoi.biz/english/e_top/e_top.html>.

Figure 17

Returning Salt to the Sea. Doyle, Darby. 2014. Great Salt Lake. CityHome Collective. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.Figure 14. http://dailycreativity.net/we-are-nature-by-andy-goldsworthy/

Figure 18

http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/work.aspx?obj=12187

Figure 19

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Figure 20

http://guernseyartscommission.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/andy-goldsworthy-alderney-stones/

Figure 21

McLemore, Scott. Brion-Vega. 2009. Flickr. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

Figure 23

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Figure 30

Juracek, Judy. Surface of the Week. N.d. Architecture Week. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://www.architectureweek.com/2011/0518/contents.html>.

Figure 31

Liyuan Library by Li Xiaodong. 2011. Beijing, China. Dezeen. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://www.dezeen. com/2011/10/24/liyuan-library-by-li-xiaodong/>.

Figure 32

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Figure 33

Steel Wall and Fire Pit. N.d. Houzz. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://www.houzz.com/photos/1159169/Steelwall-and-Fire-Pit-industrial-landscape-new-york>.

Figure 34

Adobe Canyon House by Rick Joy 007. 2011. Arizona. Ideasgn. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://ideasgn.com/architecture/adobe-canyon-house-rick-joy/attachment/adobe-canyon-house-arizona-by-rick-joy-007/>.

Figure 44

Schlieren. Allred, Lance. Enchanted Rock: A Natural and Human History. Austin: University of Texas, 2009.

E-book.

Figure 51

Early Morning Climb | Enchanted Rock State Natural Area Texas by Jeff Lynch. http://jefflynchdev.wordpress.com/2009/10/

Figure 52

Enchanted Rock State Park. http://newyorkpanorama.com/2009/11/30/enchanted-rock-state-park-texas/

Figure 53

A Grassy Meadow and a View to Turkey Peak by Mark Stevens. June 12, 2013. https://www.flickr.com/photos/14723335@N05/9960872305/

Figure 63

Sandy Creek | Llano, Texas by Jeff Lynch. http://jefflynchdev.wordpress.com/tag/enchanted-rock-statenatural-area/

Figure 64-65

Allred, Lance. Enchanted Rock: A Natural and Human History. Austin: University of Texas, 2009. E-book.